


Splitting Up

by Joycee



Series: Hospital 'Verse [7]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Angst, Break Up, Doctors & Physicians, Leukemia, M/M, Mystery, Nurses & Nursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-11-21 17:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11362491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joycee/pseuds/Joycee
Summary: The hospital deals with a tainted supply of a new prescription drug. Nurse Neal Caffrey falls in love with a female patient and breaks up with Doctor Peter Burke.





	1. Chapter 1

Dr. Peter Burke woke Neal Caffrey from his sleep as the sunlight poured in through the windows. "Wake up, sweet prince. Today is your first day of work as a Registered Nurse! You don't want to be late."

Neal smiled up at him, "That's right, isn't it? Oh, Peter, I can't believe I am finally an RN. I've dreamed of this for so long."

"Well, I'm very proud of you, buddy. You worked hard to get to this point," reminded Peter.

"Yeah, sometimes, I was afraid I wouldn't make it!" laughed Neal. "What time is it? You're already dressed."

"I'm dressed and breakfast is ready," Peter confirmed. "Just waiting for you."

"Aw, you're spoiling me now," Neal grinned. "I'll have to find a way to pay you back."

"I'm sure you will," Peter assured. "Neal, I couldn't be happier than I have been these past months with you."

"Me, too," Neal agreed as he reached up to give Peter a quick kiss. "I'd better hurry now or we'll both be late."

The two men finished their breakfast, casually talking about their work, and then left for the hospital. As they walked down the familiar hall of the Oncology floor, Neal shivered with excitement.

"I want to remember this feeling. I hope I will always be as excited about my work as I am today," Neal said sincerely. 

"You are ready to take on full responsibility for patients now that you are no longer a student," Peter pointed out.

Neal answered, "Well, actually, I’ll have a short orientation period before I have to be in charge."

Head Nurse Sara Ellis greeted Neal, "Congratulations, Nurse Caffrey. Got a new patient for you this morning. Her name is Sophie Covington. She is a 25 year old woman with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She has just been started on an aggressive round of chemotherapy."

"My specialty," Neal noted proudly. "Who else am I assigned to today?"

"Well, in the same room, Helen Anderson is a 55 year old woman with breast cancer that has metasticized to her bones. She’s in a great deal of pain, but she tries to minimize it because she wants to keep working from her hospital bed. Maybe you can convince her to take a little time for herself," reported Sara.

"Oh, Helen Anderson, the reporter? Wow!" Neal enthused. "No wonder she is so involved in her work. I'll do what I can, though."

"Mmhmm," Sara continued, "Delman Wills is a 45 year old man with esophageal cancer, admitted for radiation. He is the proprietor of a cigar club and he is also concerned about having to take time off from work."

"Delman Smokes? Oh, I'm getting some well known people to take care of today," Neal acknowledged.

"That's not all, Neal. You need to be able to care for six patients now. Bradford Tullman is a 65 year old gentleman with recently diagnosed lung cancer," Sara continued. "He's in the room with Mr. Wills."

"And two more?" asked Neal. "Who else?"

"Well actually, only one more so far. Mai Lin Wan is here for a diagnostic workup of her cervical cancer," Sara explained. "The other bed in her room is empty right now, but if we get a new admission, that will be your patient, too. Think you can handle all that?"

Neal nodded, "I think I can. I'd better pull their records and get started right away, though. I've never been assigned more than four patients before."

Sara reassured, "I know. It means you will have to spend a little less time with each patient than you're used to. I'll be available to help you if you get behind. Just let me know."

Neal thanked her and moved quickly to grab his patient's records to check their medication orders. Dr. Clinton Jones, the intern, winked at him, "So you're a full fledged Nurse now, eh Caffrey? Congratulations."

Neal smiled, "Bet you wondered if I was going to make it, didn't you? I had a couple of close calls along the way."

Nurse Pierce Spelman walked by and stopped to slip her arm around Neal's waist. She hugged him a little and commented, "Of course not, Neal. There was never a doubt."

Nurse Lauren Cruz frowned, "Hey, everyone get to work. No time for a party this morning."

Oh, that's a good idea," Pierce enthused. "How about a party after work at the bar across the street? Who's in? Neal?"

Neal demurred, "I'll have to check with Peter. I've gotten in trouble at that bar a few times."

Everyone chuckled at that and the group broke up to start the morning care of their patients. Neal's patients were in three rooms in a row, female, male, female. Helen Anderson's nurse call light came on so Neal headed for that room first. 

He was alarmed to find Sophie Covington in tears. She was a stunning pale blonde with light blue eyes. Her hair was tangled and she flung an arm across her reddened face when she saw Neal. He exclaimed, "Hey, hey, what's the matter? How can I help?"

While Helen looked on coolly, Sophie snuffled, "I told her not to call you. I'm okay."

Helen huffed, "She is not okay, as you can see. For some reason, she hesitates to call anyone when she needs help, so I put my light on for her. Took you long enough to get here."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Neal admitted, "We were in change of shift getting report." 

He focused on Sophie and asked, "Now, what's the matter, Sophie? What has you so upset."

Helen pointed out peremptorily, "She vomited. That chemo is making her terribly sick. Isn't there something you can do about that?"

Neal put his hand on Sophie's shoulder and asked gently, "Is that right, Sophie?"

Still not looking at him, she nodded and gestured toward a full emesis basin resting precariously on a chair next to her bed. Neal patted her shoulder and moved quickly to remove the basin and empty it.

Before he could return to Sophie's side, Helen barked, "Hey, shouldn't you have gloves on when you do that?"

Neal blushed bright red as he realized she was right. To make things worse, Dr. Peter Burke suddenly appeared in the doorway. He quickly sized up the situation and said mildly, "You know better than that, Neal."

As Neal turned back to Sophie, he heard Peter tell Helen, "I've ordered a repeat bone scan for you. An orderly will be in to get you in a few minutes."

Neal washed his hands carefully and turned to Helen to take her vital signs before she went down to Radiology. He noticed that her blood pressure was elevated, but everything else was okay. 

The orderly arrived and Neal helped to safely transfer Helen to a wheelchair for transport. She complained, "I don't need this. I am perfectly capable of walking."

Neal smiled patiently. "It's hospital rules. Patients ride." He gently pried her phone out of her hand, saying, "Sorry, this will have to stay here. Shall I put it in your drawer for you?"

"But I need it! Why can't I take it?" Helen objected. "I'm expecting an important call. If I leave it here, will you answer it for me?"

Neal apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry. I really can't. I'm sure your caller will leave a message."

He sighed with relief as the orderly wheeled her out of the room and he turned back to Sophie. The pretty young lady had recovered slightly from her nausea and she giggled, "Helen is used to getting what she wants."

Neal gave her a broad smile and suggested, "Let's focus on you while she is gone. Will you answer some questions for me after I take your temperature?"

Sophie nodded and asked shyly, "Who are you? Are you going to be my nurse today?"

Neal was embarrassed again as he explained, "Yes, I usually start out by introducing myself, but I guess I forgot in all the confusion. I'm Nurse Neal Caffrey. Now, how are you feeling? Still sick to your stomach?"

She became serious and they discussed her case as Neal recorded her vitals and took notes. He brought her a basin of warm water and a washcloth, towel, and fresh gown and promised to return to help her get out of bed while he changed her sheets. He intended to make sure he changed Helen's bed, too, before she returned.

Neal hurried to the room with his male patients. This time he introduced himself to both of them. He was relieved to discover that neither of them was in particular distress, so he could care for them efficiently. He liked both the hip younger man and the sly older man and he noticed the two African American men seemed to have an easy comraderie with each other.

While they took turns using the shower, Neal made his way to his last patient, a petite Asian woman named Mai Lin. She flinched when Neal touched her and he realized that she might not be entirely comfortable with a male nurse, especially since her disease was gynecological. He tried his best to make her feel at ease and to some extent, he felt he succeeded. 

Neal checked his watch and was grateful that the other bed in that room was empty. He hoped he wouldn't get another admission right away, and he hurried to prepare his patients' meds before he made up Helen Anderson's bed. Before he realized it, it was noon, and everyone was resting comfortably, so he looked around for Peter to see if they could have lunch together.

Peter, who was Chief Resident for Oncology, was just returning to the Nurses Station after performing a minor procedure on a patient that Neal did not know. He greeted a tall honey blonde attractive woman in a white coat with surprise, "Jill, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you since med school!"

Peter brushed her cheek with a kiss and Neal felt a twinge of jealousy. Although he had no reason to doubt Peter, Neal always felt a little insecure. He worried that eventually his bisexual lover would leave him for a woman, since his life would be easier that way.

Peter reached out to him and introduced, "Neal, this is my friend Jill Dawson from med school. We were lab partners."

Jill gave Peter an intimate smile and reminded him, "Not just lab, Peter. We did everything together the first two years, including performing our first autopsy!"

"I remember. That was quite an experience for both us," laughed Peter. "Come on, Neal, let's all have lunch together. We can catch up, Jill, and you can tell me what you're doing here."

It turned out that Dr. Jill Dawson was a resident specializing in Gyn Oncology and would be working with them for the next few months. The rest of her training had been at a hospital in another town, but she had recently moved back. She and Peter enthusiastically caught each other up on their lives while Neal listened glumly.

Jill responded to a question from Peter, "No, I'm not married, but I thought I heard that you were engaged."

Peter looked embarrassed and answered, "Well, yeah, I was, but it didn't work out in the end."

"So, is there someone else?" Jill pursued. "I can't imagine a handsome guy like yourself will be single for long."

"As a matter of fact," Peter began, but he was interrupted by another former classmate of theirs stopping at their table to say hello to Jill. Neal looked at his watch uncomfortably and excused himself with a reproachful glance at Peter. "Well, I have to get back."

Peter reached for his hand, but Neal slipped away and Peter turned his attention back to his friends. He made a mental note to find Neal later and reassure him.


	2. Chapter 2

Neal went back to check on his patients. As soon as he walked off the elevator, he saw that Helen Anderson had her call light on again. He wondered if she needed him for herself this time or if she was calling him for Sophie again.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw that both his patients needed assistance. Helen had fallen to the floor between her bed and the bathroom and Sophie was trying to help her get up. Sophie exclaimed, "Oh, Nurse Neal, thank goodness you're here. Helen fell when she tried to go to the bathroom. I told her she should wait for you, but she wouldn't."

"That's enough, young lady," Helen grouched. "I thought I could make it. I don't know what happened, but I fell and now I can't get up and my leg hurts like a bitch."

As Neal hurried toward the women, Helen ordered, "Well, come on Nurse, help me up. Sophie, you get back in bed."

Sophie looked relieved and shrank back toward her bed. Neal turned his attention to the substantial woman on the floor. He knelt beside her and reached out to feel the leg that was bent awkwardly behind her. Helen flinched and Neal was concerned that she had a pathological fracture since her bones were weakened by cancer.

He warned her to sit still while he checked to see if he could straighten the leg, but she jumped with pain when he tried to move her. Neal put his hand on her shoulder and explained gently, "Helen, you have injured your leg. I need to get some assistance to get you back into bed and then we'll call Dr. Fowler to examine you."

For once, Helen acquiesced, but she insisted that Neal hand her phone to her before he left the room. As Neal hurried into the hall to find some help, he almost ran into Nurse Pierce Spelman. She laughed, "Hey, handsome, what's your hurry?"

Neal sighed, "One of my patients fell and I need help getting her back into bed."

"Okay, let's go!" Pierce volunteered brightly. "Which room is she in?"

Neal looked doubtfully at Pierce's petite frame and protested, "I think it's going to be too much for the two of us."

"Aw, not if we use good body mechanics. Come on," Pierce insisted. "Show me which room we're going to."

Neal steered her into the room and was surprised by how easily and painlessly she assisted him in getting Helen back to bed. Pierce winked, "Told you, body mechanics. I'll send Dr. Fowler in to check that leg. It looks like your other patient needs you now."

Neal whirled around to see Sophie vomiting again and leaning precariously over the edge of her bed. He rushed to pull her back and put up the side rails on her bed. He wet a washcloth for her and handed it to her and then offered her a sip of water. He remembered to don gloves before he emptied the basin.

Helen was uncharacteristically quiet, but Neal could see from her expression that she was in pain. He raised the side rail on her bed, too and reassured, "Just lie still and I'll make sure Dr. Fowler is on his way."

Neal quickly looked in on his two male patients on his way to the Nurses Station. He was relieved to find that they were sitting up comfortably chatting with each other. When he checked on Meilin, she was sleeping.

Head Nurse Sara Ellis informed him, "Dr. Fowler is tied up right now. He wants Dr. Burke to have a look at Helen Anderson's leg. How bad is it?"

Neal blushed, "I think she has a stress fracture. I should have warned her not to get out of bed. She got up while I was at lunch."

"It's not your fault, Neal," Sara sympathized. "She knew better, but she's a difficult patient. Let me know if she's too much for you to handle."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind her. Actually, I kind of appreciate how she looks out for her roommate Sophie."

"Okay, well, I called Dr. Burke," Sara told him. "You'd better give your patients their midday meds now before he gets here, so you can go with him to examine Helen's leg."

Neal took her suggestion and he was just returning to the Nurses Station when Peter arrived with Dr. Jill Dawson beside him. Jill asked Neal preemptively, "Would you accompany me to Mai Lin Wen's room? I need to do a gyn exam on her and you can assist me."

Neal hesitated and demurrred, "Uh, well, she's kind of shy about having a man for a nurse as it is...."

Nurse Lauren Cruz arrived and rescued him, "I'll do it. My patients are all taken care of for now."

Neal ignored Dr. Dawson's disapproving look. He was glad Lauren had freed him up to accompany Peter as well as getting him out of the embarrassing situation. Peter asked briskly, "How did Ms. Anderson hurt her leg?"

Neal replied wearily, "She got up to go to the bathroom without assistance and she fell on the floor. Her bones are fragile because her breast cancer has metastasized to her bones. I think she has a fracture."

Peter frowned, but didn't say anything. As he examined Helen carefully and professionally, Neal's attention drifted to Sophie who was finally sleeping. Her pale face was slightly flushed and she looked incredibly fragile and beautiful as she lay there peacefully.

Peter interrupted his reverie impatiently, "Neal, could you please pay attention? I want Ms. Anderson to have a portable X-ray right away. She is on pretty heavy doses of oral pain meds, but I want you to give her an injection until we can get her leg stabilized. And don't let her get up again!"

Helen murmured, "Thank you, Doctor. It wasn't his fault, though. I knew I shouldn't I get up. I'm a little stubborn."

Neal grinned gratefully and patted her arm and then hurried to get her injection. He stayed busy the rest of the afternoon and was thankful that he still had not gotten a new admission. At the end of the shift, he thanked Lauren and Pierce for their assistance and began making notes on his patients' records.

Dr. Fowler walked up and discussed Helen Anderson's condition with Peter. He turned to Neal and asked, "Where is the Accodent Report? I'll need to sign it."

Neal replied uncomfortably, "Uh, I haven't had a chance to prepare one yet. Could you sign it tomorrow?"

Fowler agreed, but sternly reminded, "As long as we turn it in within 24 hours of the incident. I don't know why the patient was out of bed without any help. My orders are for complete bedrest."

Neal felt humiliated as he noticed everyone looking at him, but he responded simply, "Yes sir."

After Fowler left, Pierce asked, "Well, Caffrey, what's it going to be? You coming with us to the bar or not?"

Peter Burke looked up disapprovingly from where he was conferring intimately with Jill Dawson. He admonished, "Neal really shouldn't drink. He had mono not very long ago. His liver needs time to recuperate."

Neal shot back defiantly, "Well, one drink won't hurt me. Maybe you can join us before I have more than that."

Peter shook his head in annoyance as he watched Neal laughingly join the other nurses. Jill commented curiously, "You seem awfully protective. He's not really your responsibility is he, Peter?"

"No, not really," mumbled Peter, but he hoped they would be finished with their work soon so he could go get Neal out of the bar. He wasn't sure why he hadn't explained to Jill yet that Neal was his boyfriend, but for some reason he felt reluctant.


	3. Chapter 3

Neal was enjoying the comraderie of the other nurses when Hospital Administrator Vincent Adler's executive assistant Elizabeth Mitchell walked into the bar and looked around. She found Neal and inquired, "Is Peter here? I heard you were over here celebrating your first day as an RN. I assumed he'd be here, too."

Neal shook his head and responded sullenly, "No, he's still at the hospital with Dr. Dawson."

"Dr. Jill Dawson? His old girlfriend from med school?" questioned Elizabeth. "What is she doing here?"

"Finishing her residency in gyn oncology," sighed Neal.

"Oh, and flirting with Peter, I guess," Elizabeth commiserated. "Well, she had her chance and she let him get away."

Neal smiled and invited, "Want to join us? Peter said they might come over later."

Elizabeth wondered, "Are you allowed to drink alcohol, Neal? I thought you were still recovering from mono."

Neal shrugged and grinned, "One drink isn't going to hurt me. Or truthfully, two drinks now."

"I've got to go," Elizabeth told him, patting him gently on his knee. "You better take it easy, though."

Peter and Jill entered the bar then and Neal made a show of letting Pierce buy him another drink. He slurred a little as he invited, "Hey Peter, want to toast my first day with us?"

Peter scowled and turned away to talk to Elizabeth and Jill. Lauren asked flirtatiously, "Trouble in paradise, Neal?"

Neal frowned and finished his drink. He said goodnight to his friends and purposely brushed against Peter as he walked to the door. He said nonchalantly, "I think I'll go home now."

Peter quickly said goodbye to Jill and Elizabeth and hurried to catch up with Neal.

Jill asked Elizabeth, "Am I missing something? Why is Peter so worried about that nurse?"

Elizabeth chuckled, "Oh, Neal is Peter's boyfriend. Didn't they tell you?"

Jill sensed that others in the bar were listening for her answer, so she shrugged, "No, it didn't come up. We were pretty busy all day."

Elizabeth looked amused and Jill noted, "You don't seem too upset about it. You were engaged to marry Peter, weren't you? What happened?"

Elizabeth answered casually, "Neal happened. Don't underestimate him, Jill. Peter is crazy about him."

Peter didn't say much to Neal on their way home. He felt vaguely annoyed with him and not just about the drinking.

When they got inside, Neal started bumbling around the kitchen, but Peter stopped him. He chided, "You've had too much to drink. Sit down and I'll fix us some dinner."

"I can do it, Peter," Neal protested, but he did as he was told and sat down. He rested his head on the table, suddenly exhausted.

Peter finally got over his pique and gently stroked Neal's soft hair. He sympathized, "I guess today was a pretty tough first day for you, wasn't it? Let's just get a litttle hot food into you and you can go to bed early. We still need to be careful about your health, you know."

Neal gave him a tired smile and did as he was told. Peter stayed up much later researching some questions about gyn oncology. Working with Jill was challenging him. He had forgotten how stimulating their competition for grades had been in med school. He found that he still wanted to impress her.

In the morning, Neal was subdued. Peter asked a little snarkily, "Are we a bit hungover this morning?"

Neal replied petulantly, "No, we are not. Just wondering how today will go. It's a little harder being a registered nurse now instead of a student. I miss having my instructor Diana Berrigan to back me up."

Peter was unsympathetic, "Yeah, you didn't have a great day, did you? I mean, you forgot to put your gloves on. Your patient ended up on the floor with a leg fracture. You didn't write up an Accident Report. Did your other patients do okay?"

"No, they all died, Peter. Didn't you hear?" Neal shot back. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Anyway you were too busy with your old girlfriend to notice what else was going on."

Peter shook his head and responded, "Oh Neal, you are such an immature drama queen sometimes. It was Jill's first day in our hospital. You might have a little sympathy for her."

"Oh, you took care of that," Neal pouted.

Peter walked over and lifted Neal's chin with one hand. He placated, "Hey, let's not fight. I love you. Remember?"

Neal gave him a little smile and agreed, "I'll try. I love you, too. I guess I do have a bit of a headache this morning."

At the hospital, the morning flew by as Neal got to know his patients a little better. Helen Anderson was still trying to meet a deadline in spite of her pain. She was working on a story about some shady dealing by a pharmaceutical company. Sophie Covington was not feeling as sick since she had no chemo that day. Her pretty blue eyes sparkled and she flirted with Neal a bit while he changed her bedsheets.

Delman Wills was looking forward to a visit from his brother Angelo that afternoon. He was Delman's partner in their cigar business. His roommate Bradford Tullman commented, "You're so lucky to have family who care about you. I'm all alone. By the way, please call me Ford. When I had friends, that was what they called me." 

Neal felt sorry for the pleasant aging man sick with cancer and no family to care for him so he took a little time to listen to Ford's lively tales about his former life. It seemed that he was a criminal in the past and had spent some time in prison. He smiled at Neal, "Thanks for listening to an old man's memories of a better time. Too many cigarettes and too much whiskey are taking their toll on me now."

Mei Lin seemed a bit more comfortable with Neal as she got to know him better. Still, Neal wondered why Head Nurse Sara Ellis had assigned him to the shy young Asian woman since she was embarrassed about the copious vaginal bleeding caused by her cancer. Neal determined to keep her mind off it while he donned gloves and changed the pads underneath her.

Mei Lin asked Neal, "It's none of my business but are you married? Do you have children or do you want some in the future?"

"Not married. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever have children," Neal smiled, vaguely wondering how Peter felt about children. His deceased fiancée Kate had been too ill for them to consider it even if they had gotten married.

The petite woman sighed wistfully, "I guess that won't be possible for me now. I have to have my uterus removed. I wonder if anyone will ever want to marry me."

Neal wondered, "Do you have a boyfriend? Or are you just thinking about the future."

"The future," she admitted. "I guess I shouldn't be looking too far ahead since I may not even live to have a future."

Neal took her hand and sympathzed, "Sounds like you are feeling depressed about your diagnosis. I recommend you just take it one day at a time right now. The future has a way of taking care of itself, sometimes with lots of surprises."

Mai Lin laughed, "That sounds very zen. My family will like you. I know you're right, but lying here in bed, it's hard not to worry."

"I understand," reassured Neal. "I can arrange for a counselor to come see you, if you'd like. Or I can find some magazines or books to distract you. Do you have earphones so you can listen to some soothing music?"

"Maybe all of the above," she laughed. "Thanks for the suggestions and thanks for listening to me."

Neal patted her shoulder gently and then went back to the Nurses Station. He started working on the Accident Report on Helen's fall, but his stomach growled and he realized he was hungry. He hadn't seen Peter for a while, so he decided to call his friend Mozzie to see if he wanted to have lunch with him.

Neal felt cheerful, encouraged that his morning had gone well and his patients were stable, until he saw Peter sitting at a table with Dr. Jill Dawson. They were conferring about something with their heads close together.

Mozzie came up behind Neal and took his arm to steer him toward a table. He cautioned, "Come on mon frère, your eyes are turning green. Let's get our lunch and you can tell me what's going on. No need to spiral into the dark place yet."

Neal nodded his head and calmed himself. When they were seated, he ask Mozz, "Do you think I have a future with Peter? I'm just not sure he will want me for a long term partner."

"That's something he could answer better than I could," Mozzie pointed out. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, but why don't we change the subject. There's a new pharmacy scandal involving a drug called Zybax. Have you heard about it?"

"No, I don't think any of my patients are taking it," Neal concluded. "What's the problem with it?"

"Well, supposedly they're trying to switch out the supply we have on hand for new ones without any bad publicity," Mozzie confided. "I heard our Hospital Administrator Vincent Adler is one of their investors so he's probably in on the cover up."

Neal realized, "That must be what Helen Anderson is working on. The poor thing is having a lot of pain, but she tries not to take much narcotic pain reliever because she is so devoted to her work."

Elizabeth Mitchell joined them and she was also suspicious about the Zybax switch. The three of them discussed it while they ate.

"I'll bet Vincent Adler is involved in this somehow," Elizabeth complained. "I hope it's not something that will hurt the hospital."

Neal grinned, "Well, I trust you two to get to the bottom of it! I need to get back to work now, but keep me posted on what you find out."

Elizabeth touched Neal's arm lightly and nodded toward Peter and Jill, who were just leaving the room. She asked quietly, "Are you okay, Neal?"

He shrugged cheerfully, "Oh, I'm sure they were just having a working lunch, right?"

Elizabeth winked at him and murmured, "That's the way, Neal. Don't let them upset you."

When Neal got to the elevator, Peter and Jill were standing there waiting for it. Jill said curtly, "Nurse Caffrey, I'm getting a new admission and Nurse Ellis told me you would be assigned to help me."

Neal responded mildly, "Of course, whatever you need."

Peter asked, "Can you really handle another patient, Neal? I'm sure Sara would assign someone else if you're too busy."

Neal protested, "You might show a little confidence in me, Peter. I have to carry a full load of patients now."

Jill smirked as Peter embarrassed Neal by pointing out, "This is only Neal's second day as an RN. He had a pretty rough start yesterday."

Neal stroked Peter's arm possesively and batted his eyes. He replied sweetly, "Oh, Peter, you are such a dear to always be concerned about me. It's cute, isn't it, Jill?"

Jill laughed and Peter smiled too, as they all stepped off the elevator. Neal was obviously making clear that his relationship with Peter was intimate.


	4. Chapter 4

The new admission turned out to be another young woman named Veronica Naylon. She was a college student recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Neal assisted Dr. Dawson in her examination and he had to admit that Jill was very thorough and professional with the patient.

He became concerned when he checked the medication orders for Veronica and discovered Zybax on the list. That was the drug Mozzie had warned about at lunchtime! He decided to doublecheck with Dr. Dawson before giving it to the patient, but he found Peter first. For a change, he was not with Jill.

Neal approached him, "Um, Peter, I have a problem. Dr. Dawson ordered Zybax for our new patient. Do you think that's okay?"

"Of course, why not?" Peter responded irritably. "Neal, you shouldn't let your personal feelings affect your work. I'm surprised at you."

Wounded, Neal defended, "I'm not! I'm worried because Mozzie thinks there is something suspicious going on with that drug. I think my patient Helen Anderson is writing an exposé about it."

Peter chuckled cynically, "Sure, right, one of Haversham's many conspiracies. What's supposed to be wrong with Zybax?"

Neal hesitated, realizing that he really didn't know. He answered, "It's something about the pharmaceutical company that makes it trying to switch out the hospital supply without anyone knowing about it."

"Come on, Neal," Peter said condescendingly, "I think you're just trying to find fault with Jill Dawson because you're jealous that I've been working so closely with her. I promise, she is very smart and she knows what she is doing."

"Well, okay, I guess," Neal acquiesced, biting his cheek. "I know Dr. Dawson is good. I was impressed by her when we admitted Veronica, but I'm just concerned about this drug."

Peter shrugged, "Well, you can ask Jill about it, if you must, but I suggest you drop it and just follow her order for the drug," 

Neal walked away wondering what he should do. As he walked by Helen and Sophie's room, he heard someone groaning and quickly ducked into the room. It was Helen Anderson writhing in pain. She was sitting on the side of the bed with her legs hanging down.

Neal gasped, "Helen! You can't let your fractured leg hang off the bed like that! You need to be lying down."

The woman stared at him hostilely, "I know that, Nurse Caffrey. I shouldn't have gotten myself in this position, but now I can't lie back down. It hurts too much to move my leg."

Neal noticed that Sophie had tears in her beautiful blue eyes. She snuffled, "I told her not to try to get up. I was going to help her lie back down, but I was afraid to touch her injured leg. I didn't want to make things worse."

Neal reassured her as he quickly moved to assist Helen, "You did the right thing. If something like this happens again, just put your call light on."

He gingerly helped Helen lie back down, lifting her hurt leg for her. He straightened the sheets over her and pulled the side rail back up. Then he insisted, "I'm getting you some strong pain medication and you are not going to refuse it this time."

Helen nodded miserably, "I think I might need an injection again. It hurts as bad now as it did when I fell."

Neal efficiently prepared and administered an injection of morphine as ordered by Dr. Fowler. He remembered that he had not finished the Accident Report yet from yesterday. As Helen relaxed, he asked her, "What made you try to get up like that anyway?"

"Oh, I couldn't reach my phone and I needed to talk to my editor. The story I'm working on is critically important. It could affect patients right here in this hospital."

Sophie broke in, "Why didn't you just wake me up? I would gladly have gotten it for you."

Neal corrected, "You have to be careful about getting out of bed too in your weak condition. It's my job to take care both of both of you."

He turned to ask Helen if her story was about Zybax, but she had already succumbed to sleep after receiving the pain med. Her ordeal had clearly been too much for her. Neal went back to Sophie and sat in the chair next to her he asked solicitously, "How are you doing? Are you ready for more chemo tomorrow?"

Before she could answer, a well dressed man appeared in the doorway of the room bearing a bouquet of roses. He strode to Sophie's side and assured, "Of course she is. She is very brave."

Sophie did not look glad to see him and Neal wondered why. He got up and volunteered, "Here, I'll take those flowers and find a vase for them. I'll bring them back in just a minute."

Sophie smiled up at him gratefully. She turned toward her visitor and said softly, "They are lovely, but you didn't need to come visit me, Will."

As he was leaving, Neal heard the man insisting, "Of course I did. We're business partners since your husband died in the tragic accident. You and I need to look out for each other."

Neal felt reluctant to leave the room, but he hurried to put the roses in water. He had read in Sophie's medical record that she was a widow. Now he wondered what kind of accident had killed her husband.

When he returned with the roses, Sophie and her visitor were talking quietly and Helen was lightly snoring so he went to check on his other patients. He didn't notice a man at the end of the hall taking his photo as he left the room.

Delman's brother Angelo was visiting, but they seemed to be arguing over something. Ford looked concerned as he listened to what they were saying. Neal made a mental note to see if his patient was still upset after his brother left.

Mei Lin was in distress. She was having an episode of heavy bleeding and her pads were soaked. She had fresh blood on her hands and there were dark red streaks on the sheets. Neal hurried to help her. He promised, "I'm going to get you cleaned up and then I'll call Dr. Dawson to let her know this happened. He inquired, "When is she planning to operate?"

The scared patient replied, "She was trying to stabilize the bleeding first, but that doesn't seem to be working. Thank you for helping me. I knew I shouldn't stand up because it might make it worse."

Neal agreed, "You did the right thing, but you can always put your call light on or you can even ask your roommate to do it if you need to."

They both looked toward the empty bed on the other side of the room and Mei Lin noted, "I haven't seen her in awhile. Some of her friends came by and offered to fill her in on her missed classes. I think they went out to the waiting room so they would have more room."

Neal nodded as he finished wiping off her hands and positioning her on clean sheets and pads. He stripped off his gloves and told her, "Just lie very still if you can. I'll let Dr. Dawson know your bleeding has increased. She may want to move your surgery up."

Mai Lin pointed out, "My real surgeon is Dr. Curtis Hagen. Dr. Dawson is his resident so she is managing my day to day care and she will assist him with the surgery." She giggled, "At first I mistook Dr. Dawson for a nurse because I was expecting to see Dr. Hagen."

"Ah yes, " Neal smiled. Due to gender stereotypes, patients sometimes assumed that he was a doctor. He assured, "Well, she's a very good doc nearing the end of her residency. I think you are lucky to have two good physicians looking after you."

"And don't forget that handsome Chief Resident, Dr. Burke, too," added Mei Lin.

Neal grinned, "How could I forget him? Look, I'm going to make that call and then I need to check on Veronica, but I'll be back to let you know what I find out. I'm leaving a couple of damp washcloths and a clean towel here next to you in case you need them. The button for your call light is right here by your hand. Try to lie still now.

For the rest of the afternoon, Neal was very busy keeping up with his six sick patients. He felt relieved that at least some of them were stable. At the end of his shift, he sat down at the Nurses Station to complete his notes on his patients' records and finish the Accident Report for Dr. Fowler to sign.

Intern Clinton Jones smirked at him, "Hey Caffrey, I notice Peter Burke has been preoccupied with our stunning new resident, Jill Dawson."

Nurse Lauren Cruz broke in, "Sshhh, don't remind him. No need to stir up more trouble, Dr. Jones."

Neal was annoyed, but he kept his composure. Dr. Hagen came to the Nurses Station after examining Mei Lin Wen. He greeted Neal, "Hey Caffrey, I know you're not a student nurse anymore, but Dr. Dawson and I are about to perform emergency surgery on Miss Wen. Do you want to scrub in to help us find out what's causing all that bleeding?"

"I would like to, but I'll have to get permission first," Neal responded. "I'm glad you are going to operate right away."

Dr. Hagen chuckled "Well, you know what I always say, a chance to cut...."

"Is a chance to cure," Neal and Jones chimed in cheerfully. They both privately thought Dr. Hagen was sometimes a little too eager to operate, but they knew he was an excellent surgeon.

When Peter came by the Nurses Station, Neal informed him, "I won't be home this evening. Dr. Hagen asked me to scrub in on my patient's emergency surgery and I got permission to do it."

Peter gave him a faint smile and teased, "Oh? I'm planning to participate in that case, too. We'll all just be one big happy family."

Dr. Jones gave a low whistle and faked alarm. He saluted them and added, "Well don't worry. I'll have everything under control for the rest of the patients on this floor."

Peter reassured, "Oh, we won't be in surgery too long. You can handle it. Dr. Fowler is on call. I'll check in with you before I go home."

As Peter and Neal walked toward the elevator to head to the OR, Peter asked, "Did you get a chance to ask Jill about that drug Zybax yet?"

Neal shook his head. "No, I got very busy this afternoon and I didn't have time. By the way, Elizabeth has heard the rumors, too. It's not just Mozzie."

He guiltily kept it to himself that he had not given the medication to Veronica yet. He intended to find out more about the risk first.


	5. Chapter 5

Neal and Peter got home late after scrubbing in on Mei Lin's surgery. It had been more complicated than expected and the patient's condition was critical when they finally took her to the Recovery Room. 

Peter put an arm around Neal's shoulder and reassured, "Don't worry, Neal. If the operation was successful, she should live."

Neal pointed out miserably, "But she'll never be able to have children. She was worried about that."

"You know there are other ways for her to become a parent besides giving birth to a baby," Peter counseled.

"That's true, I guess," Neal mused. "Peter, have you ever thought about it? I mean, having children."

Peter looked softly at Neal and confided, "I have, but I think I would be okay either way, with or without children, as long as I was with the right partner."

Neal inquired, "Did you and Elizabeth plan to have babies?"

"Not right away," Peter answered. "She wasn't sure either."

"Kate and I used to dream that we would have two children, a boy and a girl," Neal remembered wistfully.

Peter kissed him and sighed, "We'd better get to sleep. It's almost morning already."

In the morning, June knocked on the door while the men were eating their breakfast. She apologized, "Sorry to bother you so early in the morning. I wanted to talk to you last night, but you got home too late."

Neal responded right away, "Of course, it's okay. Is anything wrong?"

June sighed, "Not exactly. The thing is, I heard that an old friend of Byron's and mine is in the hospital with lung cancer. His name is Ford Tullman. I wondered if you could tell me how he is."

"As a matter of fact, he is my patient," Neal disclosed. "How do you know him, June? He seems so alone in the world."

"Well, I guess he is," June answered. "I haven't seen him in many years, but he and Byron used to be very close. Is he going to be all right?"

Peter broke in, "June, we can't give any information about Ford's condition without his permission."

"But you could come and visit hm, June," Neal suggested. "I don't think he's had any visitors and he seems lonely."

"Okay, that's a good idea. I'll drop in this afternoon," June agreed. "Thanks, you two."

When they got to work, the first thing Neal wanted to know was if Mei Lin's condition had improved overnight. The night nurse Melissa Cartwright advised him, "She was in the Recovery Room all night, but she is stable. She should be transferred back here this morning. Neal, you should get your other patients taken care of as soon as possible because she will need a lot of attention."

Neal followed her advice. As he started down the hall, he sighed as he noticed Dr. Jill Dawson latching onto Peter's arm. He wished she hadn't come back to their hospital. Neal started with Helen and Sophie first, as he had gotten in the habit of doing. As he entered the room, he smiled at how cute Sophie looked in her hospital gown.

Then he noticed that Helen was urgently conferring with a man standing beside her bed. She was saying, "But I'm worried people could die if we don't expose this drug."

Neal interrupted, "Sir, I'm sorry, it's not visiting hours right now. I'm sure what you are discussing is important, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave while I give these ladies their morning care."

The man started for the door wearily, saying, "I'll be back after while, Helen. Please concentrate on getting well."

Helen glared at Neal hostilely, "You have no right to tell me who I can see when!"

Neal gazed back at her and replied confidently, "I'm sorry, but I do. I need to take your vital signs, examine your leg, give your meds, and get your bed straightened up." He winked at Sophie and added, "I need to take care of this pretty lady, too."

Helen groaned, "Oh, all right. Go ahead and do what you have to do. My leg is hurting again anyway."

Neal worked quickly with Helen, but he took a little more time with Sophie. He was drawn to her by her doll like beauty as well as her sweet compliant personality. He felt bad that she was about to suffer through another round of chemo. He promised, "I'll be back to check on you and give you antinausea medication if you need it. I know a few other tricks, too. I'll try hard to keep you comfortable."

He proceeded to his male patients' room. After he checked Delman's vital signs, he informed Ford, "A friend of mine was asking me about you a little while ago."

The elderly black man had a coughing spell and then looked doubtful. "I can't imagine who that could be. I don't have many friends left after my years in prison."

"Her name is June Ellington. Her husband was named Byron," Neal informed him while he took his blood pressure.

Ford exclaimed delightedly, "June! June Ellington. Of course. Byron and I were partners in crime and best friends years ago. How do you know her?"

"June is my landlady and, you might say, benefactor. She's taken me under her wing," Neal explained. "She said she'll come by to see you this afternoon, if that's all right."

"Of course it is," Ford enthused. "I'll be very glad to see her." 

He started coughing again and Neal went to get a dose of expectorant for him. He shook his head thinking that Ford had advanced lung cancer and was unlikely to be cured by treatment. Neal hoped the old man might find a little comfort in his friendship with June.

Finally, he entered Veronica's room and was surprised to find her feeling very sick. She had seemed to be fine the day before. She confided, "I think it was the medicine the nurse gave me last night that caused me to feel so bad."

Neal anxiously checked her medical record and frowned when he noticed that Melissa had given her Zybax during the night. He asked worriedly, "Do you know the name of the medicine that you think caused you to feel bad?"

"No, but I know it is something new," Veronica related. "Maybe they're using me for a guinea pig."

Jill and Peter entered the room in time to hear her last remark. Jill asked sharply, "Is there a problem here?"

Neal answered, "Veronica thinks she had a bad reaction to a new med last night. I think it was Zybax."

Jill's face clouded, "Well, that shouldn't have happened. Zybax is new on the market but it is ideal for treating a case like Veronica's."

"Neal, would you step into the hallway with me?" ordered Peter firmly.

When they were out of hearing range for Veronica and Jill, Peter accused angrily, "You put it in that girl's head that the Zybax made her ill, didn't you? I don't believe you!"

Neal was shocked. He stammered, "N-no, of course not, Peter. I would never do that. I'm telling you there is a problem with that drug."

"Okay, what's the problem?" Peter demanded impatiently. "Where did you get this information? From Mozzie's unfounded suspicions?"

Neal shook his head because he really didn't know how to answer that. He was sure he was right, though. Finally he said softly, "I'm going to find out exactly what the problem is. I'll get back to you."

Mei Lin was transported back from the Recovery Room and Neal became very busy taking care of her for a while. He was relieved to see that her bleeding was much less, but it hadn't stopped altogether. The young woman was scared and in pain from the extensive surgery she'd had the night before. It was essential to monitor her vital signs closely.

When Neal finally got a break at noon, he rechecked Mei Lin's medical record and discovered that Dr. Dawson had ordered Zybax for her, too. Dr. Hagen and Dr. Fowler were both at the Nurses Station writing orders so Neal asked, "Dr. Hagan, are you aware that Zybax has been prescribed for Mai Lin Wen?"

"What? No, I didn't prescribe that for her," blustered Dr. Hagen. "Did Dr. Dawson order it for her?"

Neal nodded and handed him the medical record so the surgeon could see for himself. Dr. Hagen said brusquely, "I want you to hold off on giving that to her until I get a chance to confer with Dawson."

Neal smiled, "Yes sir. Thank you."

Dr. Fowler harrumphed, "Interfering with a doctor's orders again I see, Caffrey. You're going to get in over your head one of these days."

Neal decided to skip lunch and try to talk to Helen Anderson to see if Zybax was the drug she was writing about. He found that she had been taken downstairs to Radiology, but Sophie was sitting up eating her lunch. Something about her innocence and vulnerability reminded him of Kate, though Sophie didn't look like her.

Sophie looked up and grinned, "Hi Neal. This is my last meal before I get my chemo."

Neal advised, "Take it easy then because it may help if your stomach is not full."

"I know," the frail girl admitted, "but this is the first food I've actually enjoyed since my last dose of chemo. Dr. Fowler says my blood counts are looking better, though, so I guess it's worth it."

"Of course it is," Neal encouraged. "It's a lot to go through, but it will probably save your life."

"Yes, probably," she agreed, "but I had no idea how hard this was going to be."

To change the subject, Neal asked, "Who was the man who brought you the roses? Boyfriend?"

"Oh no, Will is my deceased husband's business partner. I can't stand him," Sophie explained. "He's an investment banker and I think he's involved in something shady."

Neal frowned, "I heard you arguing with him. What was he upset about? You know, we can keep him from visiting if you want."

Sophie sighed, "No, it's okay, I guess. He's just mad because because Grant left all his money to me and I've been giving a lot of it to charity."

Helen was wheeled back into the room. She demanded, "Who is that slimy character in the hall who is keeping an eye on our room."

Neal went to the door of the room and saw the back of a man heading down the hall. He quickly went after him and demanded, "Who are you and why are you watching my patients' room?"


	6. Chapter 6

The disheveled man disclosed, "My name is Freddy Slatkin and I'm a PI hired by Wilson Mailer's wife Poppy. She suspects he is fooling around with the little widow. I've got a few good photos of you, Sophies's very attentive nurse, that Mrs Wilson will find interesting. Do you always take such a personal interest in your patients, Mr. Caffrey?"

Neal retorted, "My relationship with Sophie is strictly professional. She is my patient."

"Yeah? Well, Mrs Mailer doesn't know that," the sleazy detective leered. "Anyway, I'm not the only one keeping tabs on that room. There's another guy in a nice suit hanging around here, too."

Neal shook his head as the man walked off. He didn't like all this mystery surrounding his sick cancer patients. He hadn't gotten to ask Helen about Zybax yet, but he needed to get back to Veronica and Mai Lin. He vowed he'd find out what was going on before he went home that day.

When he checked Veronica, she seemed a little better. Neal was glad she hadn't been given any more Zybax. Mai Lin was very weak and she was unable to take anything by mouth so Neal called Dr. Dawson to ask if he could increase her IV rate so she would get more fluids. 

Jill replied irritably, "Yes, that's fine, but I don't appreciate your consulting Dr. Hagen to get him to stop my order for Zybax. I don't know what you're thinking, but you don't know what you are doing. Zybax is one of the most powerful new drugs we have. It could be life saving."

Neal responded quietly, "I just asked Dr. Hagen if he was aware of your order and he told me to withhold it until he talked to you."

"Yes, well, it seems he may have heard the same rumors you did, but there is no proof that the drug is harmful," Jill sighed audibly.

Neal made sure his patients were stable and as comfortable as they could be and headed for Helen Anderson's room again to question her about Zybax. However, in the hallway he saw June heading for Ford's room. He greeted her warmly and chatted with her a few minutes and then she went on into the patient's room. 

Neal could hear Delman arguing with his brother Angelo again, but he just shook his head and proceeded to Helen's room. The older woman was sleeping and he hated to disturb her. He looked across the room and saw Sophie's head buried in her pillow.

He walked over and stroked her long soft blonde hair. He questioned quietly, "What's going on, Sophie? Are you feeling the effects of your chemo already?"

Sophie peeked up at him from her pillow and nodded, "I didn't want to wake up Helen. She has trouble sleeping. Neal, I'm feeling achy all over and my throat is really sore. I'm nauseated, too."

A tear slid down her cheek and Neal wished he could take away her troubles. He got a warm wet washcloth and sat down on her bed next to her and gently washed her face and neck. He murmured, "There, let's wipe those tears away. Does this help a little?"

She looked up at him gratefully and turned over so he could reach her better. Neal checked her pulse and took her temperature. He smiled, "I'm going to get you something to stave off that nausea and relieve your pain. You stay right here and I'll be right back, okay?"

Sophie giggled in spite of herself, "Where would I go?"

Neal patted her and then hurried out to the Nurses Station to get an injection for her. Nurse Lauren Cruz was there and she greeted him cheerfully, "You have your hands full today, don't you? Do you know there was a private investigator asking around about you?"

Neal snapped, "That does it! Thanks for letting me know, Lauren."

He took a moment to call Mozzie and fill him in on the situation. Mozzie quickly responded, "I'll take care of it, Neal. Just let me know as soon as you see him again."

"Thanks, Mozz. I don't have time to deal with him. By the way his name is Freddy Slatkin and he said there's another man wearing a nice suit who is also watching the room. I have no idea who he is."

He returned to Sophie and administered her injection. He soothed her quietly while he waited for it take effect. In a few minutes, he could feel her relax and she gave him a sleepy smile. She sighed, "That helped. Thank you, Neal. I think I'll take a nap now."

Neal looked up and saw Wilson Mailer at the door of the room. He promptly intercepted him and backed him into the hall. He advised him, "Sophie has just had her chemo and she needs to rest now, so I'm afraid she can't have any visitors for awhile."

Mailer looked Neal over and sneered, "You can't keep me from seeing her, Nurse Caffrey."

"In fact, I can," insisted Neal. "You are not family and her doctor wants her to have limited visitors."

Peter walked up and asked curtly, "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

Mailer backed away, calling over his shoulder, "I'll come again tomorrow."

Neal grinned, "Thanks for the assist, Peter. He's obnoxious and my patient doesn't want to see him."

Peter was already turning his attention down the hall where Dr. Dawson was approaching, so Neal turned away and went back to check if Sophie was sleeping. She was, but Helen was awake. She was reaching for her phone so Neal grabbed it and handed it to her. He asked tentatively, "Could I ask you a question about your work, Helen?"

"Like what?" she answered curtly. "Are you interested in journalism?"

"No, no, it's not that," began Neal. He continued uncomfortably, "I heard you mention to your editor this morning that you were investigating a dangerous drug and, uh, well, I wondered if it could be Zybax?"

Helen put a hand to her head and sat up straight. She asked sharply, "Now why would you think that, Neal?"

He took a deep breath and explained, "Well, the hospital Logistic and Supply Manager is a friend of mine and he seems to believe there is some kind of scandal around it. The Executive Assistant to the Hospital Administrator thinks so, too."

Helen's eyes shone as she questioned avidly, "What exactly did they say about it?"

Helen's' colleague walked into the room and Helen related excitedly, "Leland, this is Nurse Neal Caffrey and he may know something that relates to my article. Neal, this is Leland Shelton, the publisher of Circumspect Magazine."

Neal demurred, "Oh, I don't really know anything. I was hoping you could tell me something."

He noticed movement in the hall and caught sight of a man in a suit lurking near the door. Neal asked Helen and Leland, "Um, do you know if anyone is following you or trying to spy on you?"

Leland gasped, "Could it be Paul Sullivan or one of his men from P&V Pharmaceuticals? Helen, you could be in danger!"

Helen calmed him, "Sshhh, it's more likely Casey Mendell trying to give me some information."

Neal looked around and informed them, "Well, he's gone now. It's strange because there has been another man hanging around and trying to get information about Sophie. He was hired by Wilson Mailer's wife."

"Did you say Wilson Mailer?" questioned the publisher. "He is one of the biggest investors in P&V Pharmaceuticals."

"Oh wow, is that who the man who keeps bothering Sophie is? I've only heard her call him Will," mused Helen.

Neal checked closely to make sure Sophie was still asleep. He didn't want her to be upset by their conversation. He asked Helen, "Can you tell me what the problem is with Zybax?"

Helen and Leland looked at each other. She inquired, "Why is it so important for you to know?"

Neal blurted out, "There is a new doctor who has been prescribing it and I think it made one of my patients sick."

Helen glanced at Leland again and confirmed, "That makes my work even more urgent now! We have to find Casey. Neal, could you ask the man in the hall who he is if you see him again? I desperately need to talk to a man named Casey Mendell."

Leland asserted, "But if the man is not Mendell, keep him away from Helen and let us know who it is as soon as you can."

Neal was stunned by how intense the two journalists were. He asked carefully, "Helen, are you in danger? Are my other patients in danger?"

Helen shook her head, "I just can't tell you anything yet, Neal. I have to be certain first."

Sophie moaned in her sleep and Neal discovered that her face was flushed and her pretty blonde hair was sweaty. He felt her forehead and was alarmed by how warm she felt. He woke her gently so he could measure her temperature with a thermometer. While he was waiting for it to register, Sophie began to have shaking chills.

As Neal removed the thermometer, she chattered miserably, "N-N-Neal I'm s-s-so c-cold."

He cinched her blanket around her and reassured, you have spiked a high fever, sweetie, but we're going to get it down. Don't worry."

As he ran to the Nurses Station to get medication for her, he was flooded with memories of Kate when she was so sick with leukemia before she died. He quickly found Peter and reported to him that Sophie was in crisis.

Jill was standing next to Peter and she suggested, "This is a perfect case to try Zybax, Peter."

Neal cried loudly, "NO! I mean, you can't. Please don't, Peter!"


	7. Chapter 7

Peter eyed Neal curiously and asked quietly, "Why not, Neal? What do you know about Zybax?"

"I'm not sure," Neal admitted, "But please don't use it on Sophie. Can't we at least try the usual measures first?"

Peter relented, "Yes, I guess we can, but you and I are going to need to have a serious talk."

Neal nodded gratefully, "Yes, we will, I promise." He looked at his watch and informed Peter, "I'm afraid I'm going to run a little late tonight. I don't feel like I can leave until I finish with my patients."

Peter warned, "Neal, don't get too emotionally involved. Sophie isn't Kate, you know."

Neal blushed and answered, "I know that. Of course, Peter. There are just a few things I still have to do and I need to talk to Mozzie, too. I didn't want you to wait for me. That's all."

"Well, I have to stay awhile, too," replied Peter. "Maybe we'll finish up around the same time."

Neal hurried back to give Sophie her medicine. She looked miserable so he made her as comfortable as he could and promised, "Hang on, I'll be back pretty soon, sweetheart."

Helen was still deep in conversation with her publisher, but he could see that she was tiring. He offered to get her pain meds, but she grimaced and refused, insisting, "I have to finish my work. Maybe in a little while I can take them."

Neal rushed to check on his other patients. June and Angelo were gone from Ford's and Delman's room and both patients were resting quietly. Mei Lin was thirsty and he fed a few ice chips to her. He noted that her pads had much less blood on them as he changed them, which he recognized as a good sign.

She reached for his hand murmured, "You're taking such good of me. Thank you."

Neal beamed with the compliment. "Hey, I just want you to get well, okay? You're doing better already, but you had major surgery so it will take a little time to recover."

He turned to care for Veronica and he was immediately worried about her condition. She was cold to the touch and looked a little blue around her mouth. Her pulse was fast and thready and her blood pressure was low. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes and asked, "Do you know what is wrong with me?"

Neal avoided the question because he wasn't sure how to answer it. Instead he assured, "We're doing everything we can to get you well again. Let me get another blanket for you. I'll check Dr. Dawson's orders to see if there is anything else I can do for you."

He returned to the Nurses Station. He had reluctantly given the Zybax to Veronica again as Dr. Dawson ordered since it had already been started during the night shift. He carefully recorded his assessment of her weak condition, but he couldn't help wonder if a reaction to the drug was what was making her worse.

After he had gotten extra blankets for Veronica and Sophie, Neal's shift was almost over. He wanted be sure he documented their symptoms for the next shift. He didn't see Peter around anywhere.

When Neal finished all his notes, he reported to the next shift and let them know he would be back to check on Sophie again later. He warned them to monitor Veronica very closely, but didn't bring up his concerns about the Zybax. He didn't mention the mysterious men who were watching his patients either. There was no sign of them being around. He didn't want to get a reputation as a paranoid nut.

Neal met Mozzie in the cafeteria to confer with him while he grabbed an order of burger and fries for his dinner. He was depressed to see Peter sitting across the room with Jill again. He wondered why Peter had to stay late.

Mozzie distracted him by telling him he had found Freddy Slatkin lurking in the halls and had a talk with him. Mozzie explained that Sophie's late husband had left her a fortune and a half interest in his investment banking company with Wilson. He said Wilson was trying to talk Sophie into investing more money in the company, but Wilson's wife was afraid he was having an affair with Sophie.

Neal grouched, "Well, that's ridiculous. She can't stand him. She's such a sweet girl, Mozzie, and she's really suffering through her chemo."

"She's hardly a girl, Neal," Mozzie reminded him. "I suppose she reminds you of Kate."

"I guess," Neal confessed. "Lately, I've been thinking about Kate a lot. I don't know why."

"Could it be because you and the doc aren't getting along so well?" guessed Mozzie.

"Maybe," Neal mused. "We just don't seem to be understanding each other since Jill showed up."

"Are you worried that their relationship is something other than professional?" probed Mozzie.

"I don't know. More like I'm afraid it might become that," Neal admitted. He quickly changed the subject. "Can you see if you can find out who the other man is that has been watching Sophie's room? We think he's spying on Helen. If his name is Casey, she really wants to talk to him."

"And if it isn't?" wondered Mozzie with a raised eyebrow.

"Then he might be a threat to Helen. She's writing an exposé about Zybax, Mozz. I couldn't get her to tell me any details, but I heard her tell her editor that it might be deadly. Jill Dawson prescribed it for two of my patients, but only one of them has received it and I think she is having a very bad reaction. Jill won't listen, though. She insists it's a wonderful new drug."

Mozzie frowned, "The rumor is that it was very promising, but some batches were contaminated during their manufacture. The company should issue a recall, but instead they're trying to find the bad batches and swap them out wherever they are. They figure if a few patients die and they get sued, it will still be cheaper to settle the lawsuits than to have a complete recall."

"But that's immoral!" Neal huffed. "Isn't it illegal, too? It certainly should be!"

"Oh, it is, IF it is true. Remember, it is still a rumor at this point. There has to be proof of these accusations before anything can be done. Otherwise they will sue the pants off anyone who tries to expose them."

Neal murmured, "So that's why Helen is being so careful, and why she is so dedicated to finishing her investigation, too. You know, Mozz, I think this Casey guy might be an informant. She said it was extremely important for her to see him."

"Hmm, I wonder if we should call Agent David Siegel at the FBI," Mozzie suggested. "Do you suppose they are looking into it?"

Neal agreed excitedly, "That's a great idea. If they're not already on the case, they should be. Let's call them tomorrow."

Mozzie offered, "Can I give you a ride home, my friend?"

"Ah no, I still want to check on Sophie again before I leave," Neal declined.

When he reached Oncology floor, Veronica was being transferred to ICU by stretcher. She did not respond when Neal tried to speak to her. The evening nurse advised him, "She is barely responsive."

Neal hurried to Sophie's room, feeling glad he had stopped Peter from giving her Zybax. Her fever had subsided a bit and she was glad to see Neal. Helen was finally napping again with her computer on her lap and her cell phone still in her hand. Neal gently removed them and set them on her bedside table.

He sat down beside Sophie, relieved to get off his feet after his long day. He took her hand and squeezed it. "Hey, feeling a little better?" Neal checked.

"Yeah, a little bit," confirmed Sophie, "but I still feel like I might puke. I hate that."

Neal took an elastic band out of his pocket and placed it on her wrist. He showed her how to snap it over her pulse to ease the feeling of nausea. He snugged her extra blanket around her. She smiled, "Thank you so much. You make me feel like someone cares about me."

He reciprocated, "Someone does care about you. I do. You must have family and friends, though."

"I lost most of my close relationships when I married Grant," Sophie explained. "He was so wealthy that we just traveled in different circles. Now I don't want to go to them when I'm deathly ill."

"How long were you married?" Neal wondered. "How did he die? Did you miss him terribly?"

Sophie confessed, "Not that much. It was a mistake for me to marry him. He sort of swept me off my feet, but then I discovered that we were very different people. We were only married eighteen months when he drowned in a boating accident. At least that's what Will said it was."

"You're suspicious? Wilson was with him? Really?" asked Neal, interested in her unusual story.

"I'm suspicious, but there is no proof," Sophie admitted. "Anyway, it's nice to have you here with me."

Neal leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Well, I should be going now. You need your sleep. I hope you'll have a good night. Don't be afraid to put your call light on if you need help. I'll see you in the morning."

Neal sopped at the Nurses Station on his way out. He asked Intern Clinton Jones if he had seen Peter and was told that he was assisting in a late surgery with Dr. Dawson. Neal went on home. He felt a little sad and confused. Suddenly he was having doubts about his relationship with Peter.

It seemed strange to be home and not need to study now that he had finished school. He poured a glass of red wine and looked up Zybax to see what he could find out about it. There was nothing about a recall or any suspected scandal. 

When Neal finally crawled into bed, Peter still wasn't home. He lay in bed thinking about Peter and his hand drifted to his dick. He fondled himself slowly as he closed his eyes and tried to imagine Peter kissing him.

During the night, Neal dreamed that Sophie Covington was making love to him. In the dream, she was healthy and they were married. Their baby was sleeping in the next room. He reveled in her touch as she kissed her way down to his cock and took him in her mouth. He groaned and came in a hot rush.

When Neal woke up sticky from his wet dream, he could only dimly remember that Sophie had been in the dream. He got up and cleaned himself and realized that Peter hadn't come home. He felt dread building up in his chest, but he tamped it down and turned his thoughts to the Zybax problem.

Mozzie had agreed to call the FBI and Neal resolved that he would not give the drug again until he knew it was safe. He was anxious to find out whether Veronica had survived the night in ICU. He also wanted to be sure Sophie and Helen were all right so he dressed and went to work early.


	8. Chapter 8

Peter was standing at the Nurses Station looking tired and a little rumpled when Neal got to work. He didn't see Jill Dawson around anywhere. Neal nonchalantly said good morning to Peter without meeting his eyes. Peter reached for Neal's hand, but Neal pulled it away. 

Peter said miserably, "I'm sorry, Neal. I had to stay here all night. I should have called you, but we were insanely busy with a couple of patients who crashed."

Neal asked coldly, "Were they taking Zybax, by any chance? I know how much Dr. Dawson likes to prescribe that."

Peter gave him a reproachful look and sighed, "I hoped you would be understanding. I'm tired and I'm going to go get some breakfast right now. We can talk later."

Neal felt a twinge of guilt, but he was still miffed that Peter hadn't even called him. Soon he was distracted as he received report on his patients and checked their medical records. It seemed that Veronica Naylon was hanging on by a thread in the ICU. Sophie had had a restless night and Nurse Taryn Vandersant had found a man sneaking into the room to wake up Helen. 

Neal got to work taking care of his patients. Ford Tullman thanked him for encouraging June to visit him. He grinned, "We had a grand time reminiscing about old times."

The man broke into a coughing fit, so Neal gave him some cough medicine, but it didn't help much. Delman Wills seemed subdued and Neal wondered if it was because of his arguments with his brother.

Mei Lin Wen was recovering nicely from her surgery and her prognosis looked very good. Neal expected that she would be discharged soon. She asked Neal how Veronica was doing, but he gave her a vague answer. He wondered if she would be coming back from ICU.

Helen was sleeping and Sophie told Neal that both Helen and she had been awake much of the night. She also mentioned that a man wearing a dark suit had visited Helen briefly, but Sophie didn't know who he was.

When Neal got back to the Nurses Station, he was glad to find FBI Agents David Siegel and Jack Franklin there. David greeted him warmly, "Hey, Neal. Haversham told me that you might have some information for us. Can we talk privately?"

Neal checked his watch and suggested, "Let's go down to the cafeteria. I can take my lunch break early."

Soon after they sat down, Elizabeth Mitchell appeared and gave Agent Jack Franklin a quick hug and a kiss on his cheek. She had been dating him since she broke up with Peter. Before long, Mozzie appeared, too.

Everyone started to talk at once until David suggested, "How about if you just fill us in one at a time?"

Neal asked, "Do you think I could go first, because I need to get back to my patients as soon as I can."

They all agreed and the Zybax story emerged as each person gave their point of view. The agents took notes of names, dates and times. Finally, David sat back and concluded, "It's good that you called us. Now you should let us investigate and try not to involve yourselves anymore."

Jack concurred, "If we need to know more from any of you, we'll let you know. But this could be dangerous."

Neal felt relieved as he headed back up to Oncology. When he stepped off the elevator, he met Peter standing there waiting. Peter looked desolate as he related to Neal, "Well, Veronica Naylon died this morning. We aren't sure yet of the cause."

"But she was only twenty years old and she was in good condition when she arrived here the other day," gasped Neal. "She was only here for a diagnostic work up!"

Peter sighed wearily, "I know you think the drug Zybax had something to do with it, but there is no proof of that."

Neal answered bitterly, "Don't worry. P&V Pharmaceuticals will settle the lawsuit with her family."

"Oh Neal." Peter warned angrily, "Don't start with me this morning. I'm too tired to deal with you and I feel bad enough to have lost a patient."

Neal stroked his arm and soothed, "I'm sorry, Peter. I'm sure you're upset. Why don't you go lie down and rest for a little while?"

Peter nodded, "That's just what I was about to do."

Neal added calmly, "The FBI is handling the Zybax investigation now."

Peter stared at him, "What did you say?! What investigation?"

"Just get some rest, Peter. We'll talk when you feel better," Neal assured as he walked off.

Neal was anxious to tell Helen Anderson and her publisher Leland Shelton that the FBI was on the case. He believed that Helen needed to concentrate more on getting well and he also feared that she was vulnerable to foul play while lying in a hospital bed. Neal also wanted to find out who had visited her in the middle of the night.

As he headed for Helen's room, Neal noticed a tall man in an expensive tailored suit talking with Jill in the hallway. He watched as they ducked into a supply room. Neal waited a minute and then silently slipped into the supply room. Jill and the stranger were across the room behind some shelves. 

Neal stood very still and strained to hear what they were saying. The male voice said in soothing tones, "Doctor, I told you there is nothing to worry about. We have the situation under control."

Jill replied shrilly, "You do NOT have everything under control, Paul. My twenty year old patient died this morning!"

The man answered, "We knew there might be a few casualties. The girl had cancer, didn't she? She might have died anyway."

The door to the supply room opened and Nurse Pierce Spelman barreled into Neal. He grabbed her to keep from falling and raised a finger to his lips to quiet her. Pierce recovered her balance and asked, "What the....? What are you doing in here, ...."

Neal clamped his hand over her mouth before she could say his name and slipped out the door. As he left, he heard Jill covering, "Yes sir, the product I was referring to is right over here."

Neal shook his head and hurried to get out of sight. He was a bit breathless as he entered Helen's room. The sharp eyed reporter appraised him and queried, "What's wrong, Neal? Has something happened?"

He nodded, "What did you say the name of the head of P&V Pharmaceuticals is? I think I just heard him talking to one of the oncologists."

"Really?" Helen pursued eagerly. "His name is Paul Sullivan. What did you hear him say?"

"Um, Helen?" Neal hedged. "Uh, my friend that I told you about, the Logistics and Supply Manager Haversham, knows some FBI agents and he's called them in."

"What? Your're kidding?" Helen worried. "There's not enough evidence yet. They'll just scare them off."

Sophie piped up, "What are you two talking about? Is something going on? You know Will Mailer is a big investor in P&V Pharmaceuticals."

Neal responded excitedly, "He is? Wow, this case is all connected. Helen, who was the man who visited you last night?"

"How did you know about that?" Helen protested. "No one was supposed to see him."

Sophie giggled, "I saw him, Helen, and I heard him too. Wasn't he talking about your article?"

"Your night nurse noticed him, too," Neal added. "Was it Casey Mendell? What did he say, Helen?"

Helen sighed, "I might as well just talk to the FBI agents. No sense in involving you two in this. It's dangerous."

Neal moved protectively toward Sophie. He nodded, "Know what else is dangerous? You two not getting enough rest. Helen, I know you are in pain. Sophie, you have another chemo treatment scheduled. You need to get some strength back."

He proceeded to check their vital signs and administer their medications. As he left their room, he was worried that he had neglected his other patients for too long. Now that Veronica's bed was empty, he would probably be getting another new admission soon. He decided he'd better leave the sleuthing to Mozzie and David and Jack.

However when he reached the Nurses Station, Dr. Jill Dawson was standing there. She eyed him suspiciously. "Neal, were you in the supply room a little while ago?"

Neal widened his eyes innocently and lied, "No, not this morning. Was there something you needed, Doctor?"

Jill considered him for a moment and then asserted, "You know that Veronica Naylon's tragic death was not related to Zybax, don't you? Perhaps if we had given it to her earlier, it might have helped."

Neal swallowed his reply, lowered his eyes and murmured, "Yes, Doctor."

She glared at him and instructed, "I have another new patient coming in this afternoon. I want you to give her whatever meds I order without asking any questions."

Neal gazed at her solemnly and didn't answer. He had no intention of agreeing to that. Down the hall, he could see Agents Siegel and Franklin headed their way, so he replied simply, "Excuse me, I have some work to do."

As Neal passed the agents in the hall, he whispered quietly, "Talk to Helen Anderson. I have something to tell you as soon as I can get free."

David nodded subtly, "Okay, see you a little later. Keep us informed."

Neal discovered June in Ford's room visiting him again. As Neal entered the room, Ford's laughter dissolved into a hacking cough. He spit up thick secretions into a tissue and begged June's pardon. Neal asked her to step outside for a minute so he could administer a nebulizer treatment to Ford.

June asked anxiously, "Ford is dying, isn't he, Neal? Please don't lie to me."

Neal admitted, "Of course, no one knows what will happen and he is receiving treatment, but yes, his prognosis is very poor."

June lowered her eyes and then pulled a small bottle of brandy from her purse. She wondered, "Would it hurt him if I shared a little of this with him?"

Neal chuckled, "I could look the other way if it's just a little bit. You might want to invite his roommate Delman to the party, too. He seems pretty down today."

June winked at him, "I knew you would understand. I'll be back right after you give him his breathing treatment."

Later, as Neal moved on to care for Mai Lin, he heard giggles coming from the mens' room and smiled to himself. Might as well let them have a little pleasure. Ford's days were numbered. 

Mai Lin was decidedly feeling stronger. She asked Neal if he could assist her to get up and go to he bathroom. Neal quickly checked her orders and agreed. He was proud of how well she had gotten over her shyness with him. He stood discreetly outside the open bathroom door until she signaled him that she was ready to get back in bed.

The slender young woman was a little breathless from her exertion. She wondered sadly, "Will I be getting a new roommate now? They told me Veronica wouldn't be coming back."

Neal noted a tear sliding down her cheek. He was always impressed with the empathy that patients had for each other after such a short acquaintance. He replied cheerfully, "As a matter of fact, Dr. Dawson is expecting to admit someone this afternoon, but as well as you are doing, I bet you will going home pretty soon."

She rewarded Neal with a happy smile and he left the room just as her family arrived for a visit. He decided to check on Helen and Sophie again before he talked with David and Jack. Peter was standing at the Nurses Station as Neal passed by and he tried to get Neal's attention, but Neal just kept walking.

He was feeling estranged from Peter after the last few days. He was definitely disappointed by Peter's reaction to his Zybax suspicions. It seemed to Neal that Peter was just taking his former girlfriend's side.

Neal frowned when he saw Wilson Mailer standing next to Sophie's bed, but she gestured to him that it was okay. Helen motioned for Neal to go away and he could see that she was listening on their conversation and taking notes.

As he turned to leave, Neal was accosted by a fashionably dressed woman. She screeched, "So YOU are the handsome nurse! Well, you're not fooling me! I know my husband is having an affair with that little Covington bitch. I don't care if she is sick. He's in there now, isn't he?"

"Whoa," Neal temporized as he blocked her way. "You are not going in there. I don't care what suspicions you have. You have no right to be here."

Wilson Mailer emerged from Sophie's room, looking very angry. He grabbed his wife's arm and growled, "Come on, Poppy. We are getting out of here now! You are ruining everything."

Neal wondered what Poppy was ruining as he rushed to see that Sophie was all right. To his surprise, she was smiling. Helen grouched, "Damn it, that was bad timing. Sophie was just coaxing some good information out of him."

Neal laughed, "Oh boy, he didn't stand a chance against the two of you, did he? Where's the FBI when you need them?"

"I sent them away for the time being. Told them I wasn't feeling up to talking to them yet," declared Helen. She displayed David Siegel's business card with the FBI logo. "They'll come back when I ask them to."

"I'm sure they will," worried Neal, "but the reason we called them in was so you two and other patients wouldn't be put in danger."

Neal tracked down the agents and met them in Mozzie's office. He proceeded to tell them about the developments since he talked to them earlier. David proposed, "Let's say Dr. Dawson admits her new patient this afternoon and prescribes Zybax for her. Will you be sure it's not given to the patient without letting the doctor know you didn't give it?"

"Of course," Neal agreed. "No one else is getting that drug on my watch!"

"Okay then, that's what we'll do," David confirmed. "Jack and I just need to track down Casey Mendell to complete our case. Then we'll be ready to confront everyone involved and arrest them and we can confiscate the hospital's supply of Zybax.


	9. Chapter 9

Another patient with suspected ovarian cancer was brought in to fill Veronica Naylon's bed. Amy Chaite was a 45 year old violinist who had recently been having severe symptoms of abdominal pain, fatigue and bloating. Dr. Dawson had run some tests and suspected that she had a Stage II or Stage III tumor. 

As soon as she finished her examination, Dr. Dawson ordered Zybax, among other medicines. She stared steadily at Neal to gauge his reaction, but he showed no emotion. He simply nodded and continued getting the new patient settled. He smiled at Amy and reassured, "Don't worry about a thing. I'm going to take good care of you."

Mei Lin chimed in from the other bed, "He will, too. Neal's a good guy."

Neal thanked her for the compliment and left the two women chatting with each other. He went to the Nursing Station to complete his charting for the day. He was reluctant to leave the hospital, but he made sure the next shift knew that they should quietly withhold any doses of Zybax that were prescribed pending investigation. He could see that the FBI had posted a couple of undercover agents on the floor.

Peter Burke cornered him as he was leaving and insisted, "Come on, Neal. Let's go home together."

Neal didn't want to make a scene and he knew he was going to have to talk to Peter soon anyway so he nodded and followed him to the elevator.

Peter offered, "Want to get a drink at the bar before we go home? We can relax and talk."

Neal declined, "No, you know I'm not supposed to drink because of the mono, Peter."

Peter was annoyed. He pointed out, "Well, that didn't stop you the other day, did it?"

"Yeah, but as you pointed out, I didn't feel well the next day," Neal countered.

They didn't talk the rest of the way home, but when they got inside, Peter put his hands on his hips and demanded, "Okay Neal, what's going on?"

Neal looked away and then replied, "I don't think you really want to know what I think. I don't want to make you mad."

"Why should I be mad?" wondered Peter impatiently. "Just tell me what's wrong. You don't have to make such a big production about everything."

Neal turned away and poured himself a glass of wine. Peter exclaimed, "I thought you weren't drinking! What do you call that?"

"Wine?" asked Neal, impudently examining the glass in his hand. He shrugged, "Big deal."

Peter chuckled and came up behind Neal, putting his arms around his waist. He nuzzled his neck and coaxed, "Come on, let's not fight, love. Let's kiss and make up."

Neal slipped away from him and demurred, "Not now, Peter. I just don't feel like it."

Peter dropped wearily into a chair and scrubbed a hand over his face. He said quietly, "Okay, Neal, let me tell you something I'll bet you don't know. Jill Dawson complained to Medical Director Dr. Hughes about you today."

Surprise showed on Neal's face, but he quickly tried to hide it. He wanted to tell Peter what was going on, but he didn't trust Peter not to warn Jill. He mumbled noncommittally, "Yeah, so? What did Hughes say?"

"Well, I think he stuck up for you, Neal. Jill wasn't very happy," conceded Peter. "His patience won't last forever, though. Don't you think your jealousy has gone far enough?"

"Is that what you think this is about?" exploded Neal. "You know, everything is not always about you!"

"Yeah, I know," sighed Peter. "You and Mozzie have something against this new drug Zybax."

Neal warned, "Just do not prescribe that drug, Peter. I promise there is a good reason, but I can't tell you now."

Peter got up and began tossing some clothes into a suitcase. Neal cried, "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

Peter replied calmly, "I just think we need a little time apart to think about things. I can't deal with you going crazy over every woman who works with me and every patient who reminds of you Kate."

"What?!" Neal shouted. "Peter, you don't understand anything!"

"So it seems," Peter agreed sadly as he closed the door behind him. 

Neal listened to Peter's footsteps going down the stairs and desperately wanted to run after him. He agonized "Oh, how did things get so screwed up?"

He drained his wine and poured another glass. He desultorily fixed himself a light meal and called Mozzie to see if there had been any further developments in the Zybax case. He didn't mention to Mozzie that Peter had walked out.

Finally, Neal got ready for bed. He lay there and tried to sleep without success. He went over to the laundry hamper and removed a tshirt of Peter's. He went back to bed clutching the tshirt near his face and the familiar scent of Peter helped him get to sleep.

In the morning, Neal forced himself not to think about Peter not being there. He was anxious to get to the hospital to see how Sophie's night had gone. He felt very tender and protective toward the beautiful blonde blue eyed heiress. He also wanted to be sure that no other patients had been given Zybax.

After he received report on his patients, Neal was surprised when Intern Clinton Jones asked, "Is Peter sick today? It's not like him to be late."

Neal was thinking about how to avoid the question when Peter walked in. He looked haggard and rumpled and his eyes were red and tired looking. Jones asked, "Hey, you okay, buddy?"

"Yeah," Peter sighed. "Sorry I'm late. I had kind of a rough night."

Peter didn't look at Neal and Neal wondered whether Peter had spent the night alone. It was obvious that he had gotten drunk and was hungover.

Neal volunteered, "Want me to get you some ibuprofen? You look like you could use some."

Peter scowled, "Already took some. It doesn't seem to be doing much good, though."

Neal moved away to start his morning care of his patients. He felt a little bad for Peter, but he wasn't going to admit it. Neal noticed there was an FBI agent undercover as a custodian in the hallway and he hoped that had prevented any unwanted visitors for Helen and Sophie.

Helen was sitting up in bed and rapidly typing on a laptop computer. Neal asked, "Anything new?"

Helen grimaced, "No, but I'm getting my article caught up so it will be ready for publication as soon as we see how this situation is resolved."

"I'm sure the FBI will make arrests soon, maybe even today. They know how serious this is," Neal assured.

Sophie had been very quiet, so Neal asked, "Hey princess, doing okay this morning?"

She gave him a sheepish look and admitted, "Neal, I'm scared. I have to have another chemo treatment today."

Neal smiled and took her hand. He sympathized, "I know it's hard, but your blood counts are getting better. You have to see this treatment through and then you can go back to living your life."

A tear slid down her pale smooth cheek. She worried, "I don't even know what that will be like. I'm thinking of selling my half of the company to Will just to get him to leave me alone."

Helen interjected, "I don't think that will be necessary, dear. It looks like he may be involved in this Zybax scheme."

Sophie's tears increased and Neal comforted, "You don't have to decide anything now. You need to focus all your energy on getting well."

"I need something to look forward to," Sophie said with a weak smile. "Neal, do you think you might want to be friends after I get out of the hospital?"

Neal gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand. He told her, "I would really like that."

"You two look good together," Helen approved.

"You don't have a girlfriend?" Sophie asked Neal hopefully.

"Nope, no girlfriend," Neal answered a bit uncomfortably. Helen looked at him critically and Neal wondered if she was guessing the truth. He had a boyfriend. At least he did have a boyfriend until yesterday. Now he wasn't sure.

When Neal left their room, he looked around for Peter, but he didn't see him. He didn't see Jill anywhere either, but he tried not to be suspicious.

Ford Tullman's condition had worsened over night and he was very weak. He grasped Neal's hand and murmured, "Thanks, man, for bringing June to me."

Neal asked gently, "Would you like me to call her to come over now?"

With effort, Ford shook his head and refused the offer, "We had a good time together yesterday. Let her remember me that way."

Neal nodded understandingly. He patted Ford's shoulder and assured, "Don't worry, we're going to keep you comfortable."

Delman asked Neal if he would help him take a little walk in the hall and Neal assented. When they were out of Ford's hearing, Del asked, "Isn't there something more the doctors could do for Ford?"

Neal comforted, "As I told him, we're going to make sure he doesn't suffer. One of the hardest things I've had to learn working in oncology is that not all of our patients are curable."

"So you're just going to give up?" Delman complained.

"You know, what I have had to learn to accept is that every life comes to an end sometime. It's hardest when it is a child or young adult. Ford is at peace with his fate. He seems to feel pretty good about his life," Neal pointed out.

"I know you're right," sighed Delman. "I guess it just kind of hits close to home for me. I have cancer, too."

Neal comforted, "But your prognosis is very good. The radiation seems to be working. Don't worry. We never give up on anybody we can treat effectively."

When he finally got to Mei Lin and Annie Chaite, Neal was glad to find them both in stable condition and good spirits. Mei Lin had her discharge orders for the following day. Annie had a scan scheduled for later that day. Dr. Dawson thought she was taking Zybax, but Neal knew it hadn't been given to her.

At lunchtime, Neal met with the FBI agents and Mozzie to catch up on the case. He saw Peter sitting by himself and he felt kind of bad about it, but he didn't go talk to him. David Siegel looked at Neal questioningly, but he didn't pursue it.

After lunch, Neal checked the orders for his patients and headed toward their rooms with a mental list of the things he still needed to do. As he approached Helen's and Sophie's room, a terrified scream that sounded like Sophie pierced the silence. Neal broke into a run to get to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Neal burst into the room. He saw Paul Sullivan, the CEO of P&V Pharmaceuticals, leaning over Helen with a syringe in his hand. As he plunged the needle into Helen's arm, Neal lunged at him, knocking him back before he could he inject the contents of the syringe. 

Sullivan pulled the syringe out and scurried behind Sophie's bed and yanked the frail patient out of her bed. He held her up with one arm, brandishing the syringe in his other hand. He warned Neal, "Don't come any closer!"

Neal frantically tried to figure out what to do. He held a hand out in front of him and soothed, "Okay, okay, take it easy. Don't hurt her. Please."

Sophie gave a little moan. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted, slipping from Sullivan's grasp and sliding to the floor. As Neal shouted for help, Sullivan rushed Neal and wrestled him in front of him. He forced him to the door of the room and growled, "Don't move and I won't inject you. You're my ticket out of here."

Neal saw Helen trying to get up, but he caught her eye and shook his head. He knew she would fall if she stood up because of her fractured leg. Sullivan wrangled Neal through the door of the room. He shouted to the small crowd that had gathered there, "Nobody move or I'll inject this nurse with this tainted Zybax."

Neal anxiously scanned the onlookers and spotted Agent Siegel, and Peter and Jill, and Lauren and Pierce, and even Delman Wills. Siegel drew his gun and commanded, "Let him go, Sullivan. I'll shoot before you can finish injecting."

Since Sullivan was holding Neal in front of him, Neal was terrified. He heard Peter beg, "Please, no!" 

Sullivan sneered, "You'll have to shoot him first."

David repeated menacingly, "Let the nurse go, Sullivan, NOW!"

Suddenly Helen Anderson crashed into Sullivan from behind, causing him to lose his grip on Neal. As Sullivan tried to make a run for it, Agent Siegel easily apprehended him and forced him to drop the syringe.

Neal turned to Helen who had fallen to the floor groaning in agony. He thanked her for her heroic effort and tried to comfort her. He looked up to see Jill Dawson slinking away toward the elevator and shouted, "Peter, stop Jill!"

Peter was already halfway to Neal, but he turned around and ran after Jill and grabbed her. He said sadly, "Looks like you have a lot to explain."

Agent Franklin arrived with Wilson Mailer in tow. He told Siegel, "Look who I found trying to get away." He and Siegel and their undercover agents took custody of the three captives and read them their rights as they handcuffed them.

Peter raced to Neal and dropped to the floor beside him. He grabbed him into a hug and murmured, "Hey, are you okay, love?" As Neal relaxed against Peter's strong arms, Peter soothed, "It's all right now. I've got you."

Lauren and Pierce rushed to help Helen and Sophie and get them back in their beds. Dr. Fowler was called to come and examine them for injuries right away. He found that Sophie had suffered some deep bruising, but Helen had refractured her leg. He ordered the nurses to sedate them both and then he turned to check Neal.

Neal protested, "I'm okay, really. He didn't hurt me. I was just scared."

Fowler gave him a grudging pat on the back and said, "That was a brave thing you did, son."

Medical Director Dr. Reese Hughes showed up and demanded, "Can someone please tell me what's going on here!"

Mozzie was following close behind him with hospital security chief Kyle Bancroft. David Siegel returned and explained, "Paul Sullivan of P&V Pharmaceuticals, his financial backer Wilson Mailer, and Dr. Jill Dawson were involved in a conspiracy to cover up a bad batch of Zybax. We're holding them responsible for the death of Veronica Naylon, too."

Neal walked with Peter to the Nurses Station. Suddenly he felt faint and Peter quickly guided him to a chair. Neal looked at him and sighed, "Oh, Peter."

Peter gazed back at him lovingly and apologized, "You were right, Neal. I should have believed you."

Neal nodded, "We need to have more faith in each other sometimes. I should have told you what I knew, but I was afraid you would warn Dr. Dawson."

"I might not have believed you," admitted Peter. "The whole scheme seems so crazy."

Dr. Fowler interjected, "There were billions of dollars riding on the success of that drug. People will do a lot of things when that much money is involved."

Mozzie rushed up to Neal and worried, "Are you really okay? He didn't scratch you with that needle, did he?" 

"I'm fine, Mozz. Just a little shook up," Neal assured him. "It all happened so fast."

David Siegel smiled at him, "You handled yourself well, Neal. You knew I wasn't going to shoot you, right?"

"I sure hoped not!" Neal replied, "What was the matter with the Zybax anyway? Would it really have killed me?"

"It might have," Mozzie informed him. "It had a deadly contaminant in it. It certainly killed sick people, but I don't know if a healthy person could survive it."

"It was a good thing you called us when you did," David told Mozzie and Neal. "We believe this is the only hospital that got the bad batch, but we're checking to make sure of that."

Neal suddenly realized, "I need to check on Helen and Sophie! Are they all right?"

Head Nurse Sara Ellis reminded him, "Lauren and Pierce are taking care of your patients for you, Neal. Your shift is about over now. Dr. Hughes asked me to make sure you write up a report of everything that happened before you go home."

"First I need to see Sophie and Helen," Neal insisted. "Then I'll write a report."

The two women greeted Neal enthusiastically. Sophie gushed, "Oh Neal, you saved our lives!"

"More like Helen saved mine," Neal said sincerely. "How badly were you two hurt?"

Helen grimaced, "Well, I'll be stuck in this bed for a long time, but at least my publisher Leland will be excited with the finish of my story."

"Maybe you can relax and concentrate on healing then," Neal admonished.

Helen chuckled, "That's just not my nature. I have several other stories I've been researching."

Neal turned to Sophie and inquired, "And you, Princess? I heard you got pretty banged up."

Sophie giggled, "Yeah, when I passed out and fell on the floor. That wasn't very brave of me."

Neal reminded, "Hey, it was your scream that made me run in here. You did your part. I'm just so thankful that he didn't inject either of you."

"Or you either," added Helen. "What an evil man to threaten such a thing!"

Helen watched as Neal fondly fussed over Sophie, snugging her blanket around her and stroking her tangled hair off her face. Sophie gave a contented little sigh as all the excitement plus the sedative she had been given finally caught up to her.

As Neal turned away, Helen said pointedly,"I noticed Dr. Burke seemed very worried about you, Neal."

Neal looked down and mumbled, "Uh, yeah, he was. Um, Peter cares a lot about me."

Helen eyed him critically, "And you don't feel the same way about him?"

"I guess we've been fighting a lot lately, partly because he was working with Dr. Dawson and he wouldn't believe me about the Zybax," Neal admitted.

"But that doesn't stop you from loving each other, does it?" Helen observed sharply. "Neal, I think you should be honest with Sophie and maybe with yourself, too."

Neal nodded and then replied quietly, "Before I knew Peter, I was engaged to marry a beautiful girl, but she died of leukemia. Sophie reminds me of her somehow, though I hope Sophie's prognosis is much better."

Helen looked at him sympathetically and responded, "Sophie's a sweet little thing and very pretty. I can see why you would be attracted to her, but she deserves more than to be a replacement for your lost love."

Neal smiled sadly, "I just wanted to give her something to look forward to when she leaves the hospital. She seems so scared and lonely."

"She's been through a lot, with her husband dying and then getting a cancer diagnosis," Helen agreed, "but once she gets her health back, she'll reconnect her with her family and regain her confidence."

Neal sighed, "Thanks, Helen. I know you're right. Now it's time for you to get some rest, too."

Neal found Peter waiting anxiously for him at the Nurses Station. Peter put his arm around Neal's shoulders and offered gently, "Come on, I'll take you home. You can write your report there."

Neal looked up at him gratefully and nodded.

**Author's Note:**

> Next in the Hospital 'Verse series: _Making Up_
> 
>  
> 
> All of the characters are from the White Collar TV series created by Jeff Eastin.


End file.
